K-9 Self-Propelled Howitzer Exported to Romania... Approaching 70% Global Market Share [Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club]

KRW 1.4 Trillion Scale... Romania's Largest Over 7 Years
Number of Countries Managing It Increases to 10

Hanwha Aerospace's K9 self-propelled howitzer has been exported to Romania. The number of countries that have introduced the K9 self-propelled howitzer has increased to 10, including South Korea.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to Hanwha Aerospace on the 10th, the export scale is 54 K9 units, 36 K10 ammunition resupply armored vehicles, and ammunition, totaling $920 million (approximately 1.4 trillion KRW). This is the largest scale among Romania's weapons procurement projects in the past seven years.

The K9 self-propelled howitzer, a flagship product of 'K-defense industry,' is operated by nine countries worldwide including South Korea, Poland, Norway, Egypt, Australia, Finland, Estonia, Turkey, and India. It is a bestseller with a market share exceeding 50% in the export market. There are also expectations that the global self-propelled howitzer market share will approach 70% with the export to Romania.

Following the import of the portable air defense missile system 'Shingung' last year, Romania has become a key defense industry cooperation partner in Central Europe by introducing the K9. South Korea and Romania have actively engaged in high-level exchanges around the 15th anniversary of establishing a strategic partnership last year. Since last year, there have been visits by the Romanian president to South Korea, mutual visits by the prime ministers of both countries, and three visits by the Romanian Minister of National Defense to South Korea. Last month, as a result of consultations during Defense Minister Shin Won-sik's visit to Romania, the Romanian side made the final decision to introduce the K9.

Due to relentless efforts to penetrate export markets and external factors such as global security instability, Hanwha Aerospace recorded its highest-ever performance last year. The cumulative order backlog as of the first quarter of this year reached 30.3 trillion KRW. Hanwha Aerospace has been supplying various weapons to the South Korean military with technology accumulated over 40 years in the defense sector and is actively pursuing overseas market expansion. Eastern Europe is a new market for Hanwha Aerospace. Poland, which is expanding its military capabilities due to the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, is a representative example. Hanwha Aerospace has agreed to supply the K9 self-propelled howitzer and the multiple launch rocket system Cheonmu, with the contract scale exceeding 8 trillion KRW. Following the second execution contract for the K9 in December last year, the second execution contract for Cheonmu was also signed in April this year. If this contract is smoothly executed, the total contract scale between Hanwha Aerospace and Poland will reach approximately 14 trillion KRW.